Indicator for automatic elevator systems.



A. H. BUGKELEW. INDICATOR FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MARSZQ, 19 07.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. H. BUCKELEW, INDICATOR FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1907. L QJZQE QEQS :Paltfillbafid May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'ALBERT HIBUOKELE'W, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY INDICATOR FOR AUTOMATIC ELEVATOR, SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented may 2 5, 190s.

Application filed March 29, 1907. Serial No. 365,322.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. BUCKE LEW, a citizen of the United States, residingat Newark, in-the-c'ounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Automatic Elevator Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specifitending cation.

This invention relates to indicators for automatic elevator systems, and has particular reference to mechanism to be used in connection with a push button controlled elevator to indicate on the various floors, the condition of the car itself and also that of the various circuits.

In push button controlled elevator systems, it is frequently impossible for an inassenger to determine the condition of the system, as whether the car is in use, or in caseof no res onse to a signal, whether a door has been 1e t open, or to know if the car is coming inresponse to the signal.

The present invention has for its object to providean indicating system in combination with non-interfering mechanism, whereby an intending passenger, upon operating a starting or signaling button at any floor, will be apprised by automatically res onsive devices as to the conditionof the e evator sys-. tem, That is to say, a signal will. indicate whether the car is ready for use, or busy, Whether it is coming to the floor in response to a call, or whether it is not responding to the call, as by reason of a door having been I left open, or some other disarrangement of the system resent, preventin' operation of the car by t e controlling pus button.

' In carryingout the invention, a plurality of si als are provided to indicatevarious conditions, and one or anothei of these signals will be automatically operated to indicate to the intendin passenger just what the condition of the eevator system is, and

thereby prevent -useless waiting for the car in case some condition, not necessarily manifest, prevents its operation. In connection with such mechanism, means is provided fbr automatically throwing out of operation the other signals until a change of condition oc curs such as to, restore the signal first made,

. and makes'suitable changes at other floors to correctly, indicate the condition of the system with respect thereto.

The invention is shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view of a signal box at a floor; Fig. 2 is a front view, Fig. 3 is a rear view; Fig. 4 a detail plan view showing the shutter arrangement Fi 5 a plan view of the actuating switch, and Fig. 6 a diagram of the circuits for two floors.

In carrying outthe invention a signal, as

a lamp 1, is illuminated throu h a dial Z whenever the controllin push utton 3 is o erated. Under norma conditions of rest,

w on the car is ready to start, no indication will be made, but as soon as the push button 3 is operated, switch 26 is closed at that floor, thus completing the circuit from wire M through wire'J to wire L, Fig. 6, and lighting the lamp 1. At thispoint, several conditions may be resent, which it is desirable to indicate to t e person operating the button 3. The car may be busy, which should be made known or it may be coming to the floor, or a well door or car gate may be open, in-which latter case the car cannot be operated until the door and gate are shut, or no indication may be showing, as when the car is ready for use. By the mechanism to be described, either of these conditions will be automatically indicated to the intendingpassen er, and suitable indications made at the ot er floors.

.Whenever the car is in operation, it is desirable to indicate this fact ,at each floor, and this is accomplished by means of magnets 9 at each floor, in series, and connected with a supply wire From the last magnet 9 a wire Gr leads to a switch 32, normally open, and thence to return wire L. A bus magnet 40, which is always energized w en the car is in o eration,'contr0ls switch 32. Whenever sw1tch32 isclosed,

the magnets 9 on all the floors will be energized and actuate a signal, to be hereinafter described indicating this fact, and also by suitable looking out mechanism, preventing interference while the car is in operation, since switch '32 opens whenever magnet. 40 is d energized. 30, 31, are direction switches, one for each floor and connected with the car in .a well known manner as tothrow over successively as the,- car I asses from floor to floor, but only one of t e direction floor switches will have current at a time, a'ndthe car will stop when this switch opens and denergizes the one or the'other of direction magnets 45, 46, which was energized when the switch 27 was closed by button 3.- Upon closing starting switch 27, say at floor 1, the circuit, starting from wire Fig. 6, will be through busy magnet 40, wire P, magnet 41 on the right, wire D, switch 27 at floor 1, magnet 7, wire-"B, floor switch 31, corresponding to floor 1,. wire Y, magnet 46, wire 61 to wire q- The magnet 46 will attract armature,63, which will operate a main motor switch,not shown, or other power controller, suchas a valve for a hydraulic motor in a well known manner, and start the car. When the car opens switch 31, as it will be predeterm'inedto do at floor 1, it will be stopped by the denergization of magnet 46. Magnet 45 is similarly controlled to start the car in the other direction. The magnets 41 are relay magnets controlling switches 42, so that the holding current, while the car is running, passes through switches 42 and the floor switches open the circuit and denergize the magnets 41.

The openmg of the circult likewise denergizes t e magnets 9 and opens the switches 26 and 27 restoring the signals actuated by magnets 9 and also putting out the lights when switches 26 open. It will also be seen that if the car cannot respond to a signal from the push button, no indication will be made by magnet 7, to show that the car is coming, since the switch 27 will be locked out and cannot be closed. The

switch 26 closes in advance of the switch 27 and can always be-closed to light the lamp and illuminate whichever of the drops controlled by magnets 7, 8, 9, that happens to be energized. In daylight, the drops will be visible without the lamp, but it is desirable to have the lamp and toonly light it when the car is to be used. I

To indicate when a door is open, door switches 37, 38, etc., at each floor are provided, these switches being-in series on wires S, .S, and are closed when the doors are all closed. In shunt across Wires S, S, is a mag- -'net47, and resistance R which is shunted out of action when the door switches are all closed, When any door is opened, magnet 47 attracts its armature and closes switches 33, thereby sending current through Wire K F to the magnets 8 at each floor and energizing them, thereby making an indication at each floor. In cases where the car is provided with a gate, a similar arrangement controlled by a magnet 48 in a shunt across a door switch on the car is used, and also magnet strength controllingresistance R1, as before described The ma net 48 actuates a switch 34 which contrdls the circuit of I switches on the car, etc. will be used where magnet 8 similarly to switch 33. When the door or gate is again closed the indication will be removed.

Figs. 1', 2, 3, 4 and 5, show the Specific indicators and the looking out mechanisrrn.

18 similarly actuates shutter 20 by arm19,, it being observed in Fig. 1 that the shutters nest one within another. The push button 3 mechanically actuates a pivoted double switch blade 23 to close by contacts 24', 25, the switches 26, 27, Figs. 1 and 5. The switch 23 is rigidly attached to armature 12 of magnet 7 and the latter also moves down and raises the shutter 14, but if the ear is not coming, the magnet 7 willnot be energized and weight 25 on frame 20 will throw out the switch. 9 receives current its armature will be drawn If however, either of magnets 8 or down, and the frame 23 having been thrown up by the weight, will be locked out. This is by reason of lugs 22 on frame 23 being unable to pass lugs 21 on the armature 16 or 18 which was pulled down by its magnet 8 or 9.

It will thus be'seen that if switch 27 is locked out by reason of energization \of either of agnets 8 or 9, the eoming-magnet 7 cannot be energized since the switch 27 is closed by button 3 unless locked out by the energization of one of the magnets.

be energized, since-the push utton 3 and switch 27 are electrically locked out in such contingencies. This forms a non-interference arrangement for all floors preventing closing of any other starting switch 27, unti the one closed is thrown out, or the locking out lugs withdrawn. A passenger can ascertain by operating button 3, if the car is in I If the signal coming condition for use. shows, whether the lamp be lighted by switch 2d or not the car will start, or if there is no indication at dial 2, he will know that the car can be operated by switch 27 whereupon the signal coming will show as lon as the starting circuit of switch 27 is held closed, which will be as long as any one of magnets 7, 8 or 9 holds the switches 27 and 26 closed, these switches preferably. being connected to work simultaneously, though this is not essential.

It will be obvious that the usual car controlling devices, as stop buttons, car starting desired, but these are not essential to a full understanding'of the invention. Also, the

It will thus appear, that while a door is open or the car is busy, the coming" ma net 7 cannotv invention with respect to certain features thereof is not to be restricted to use in connection with automatic elevators, as it is equally valuable'with elevators in which the shafts are closed'and it is not possible to see the car and ascertain whether any response has been made by the operator to a call.

The invention may be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the scope thereof, and I do not restrict myself to the precise construction herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. The'eombination with an automatically controlled elevator system, of a signal for automz'rtically indicating at a floor when a well dooris open, and a light controlled by the starting switch for illuminating said signal, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an automatically controlled elevator system, of means for automatically indicating at a floor, when a well door is open, and means controlled by said indicator pre enting interference with the car, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an automatically controlled elevator system, of means for anmatically indicating certain varying conditions of the system, and a single switch for controlling certain other indications and the starting of the car, substantially as described.

4. The'eombination with an elevator system and controlling means therefor, of a plurality of signaling devices at a floor, one being responsive to a starting signal corresponding to that floor, and the other automatically indicating that the car is in use, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an elevator system, and means for calling the car to a certain floor from any other floor, and door switches controlling the operation of the car, of means for automatically indicating at said floor whether the door circuit is in condition to permit starting of the 'car in response to the signal, said automatic indicator in one posit-ion preventing signaling the car, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an elevator system and means for calling the car to a certain floor from any other floor, of means automatically indicatingthat the car is in use and automatically preventing signaling of the car when in indicating position, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a plurality of electro-responsive indicators and an elevator controlling switch, of means whereby one indicator when in operation looks out the others, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a plurality of indicators automatically indicating varying conditions of an elevator system, and a concator automatically locks out the other and the starting switch, substantially as described.

9. The combination with'a plurality of indicators automatically indicating varying conditions of an elevator system, and a con trolling switch, of means whereby one indicator automaticall locks out the other, and means automatica ly restoring the indicator when the car stops, substantially as de scribed.

10. The combination with an electrically controlled elevator, of an indicator for autog matically indicating a condition of the system, controlling switches for the elevator,

and means whereby said indicator automat- .ically prevent-s control of the car by said controlling switches, substantially as described.

11. The combination with an elevator system and controlling means therefor, of a plurality of signaling devices at a floor, one being responsive to a starting signal corresponding to that floor and the other automatically indicating that the car is in use, and means preventing actuation of the starting signal for that floor when the automatic signal is in use, substantially as described.

12. The combination with an elevator system and means at a floor for bringing the car to that floor from any other, of a plurality of separately controlled signals at that floor for indicating the condition of the system with respect to that floor, certain of said signals being automatically responsive to signals from other floors, and one signal being responsive to said starting means at that floor and means whereby actuation of any signal automatically prevents actuation of the others, substantially as described.

13. The combination with an elevator system and means for calling the car to a certain floor from any other floor, of means for indicating whether or not the car can respond to the signal, automatically controlled indicators and starting means at the other floors, said indicators being responsive to the starting of the car and automatically preventing actuation of the starting means,

substantially as described.

14. The combination with an electrically controlled elevator system, of means where by upon opening the circuit the car is stopped, start-ing means for the car at tle various floors, automatic indicators for the various floors controlled by the car controlling circuit and preventing actuation of the starting means when,in operation, and means for releasing the indicators when the car controlling circuit is oprned, substantially as described 15. The combination with a starting switch at each of a plurality of floors, of a magnet at each floor controlled by any one of said switches, a signal actuated by the switch of another floor.

magnet at the floor from which the signal was sent to indicate that the car is respondto said signal, and difierent signals at the ot er floors actuated by the magnets at said fioors to indicate that the car is responding to a signal from some other floor.

16. In an automatic elevator system, the combination with a starting switch, of a plurality of independent locking devices for preventing actuation of said switch, one of said locking devices being controlled by a door circuit, and the other by the starting '17. In an automatic elevator system, the combination with a starting switch, of a plurality of independent locking devices for preventing actuation of said switch, one of said locking devices being controlled by a door circuit, and the other by the starting switch of another floor, and indicators res ectively indicating which of said locking devices is effective.

18. The combination with an automatic elevator and a starting switch, of a plurality 1' of indicators for indicating the condition of the car system, means controlled by either of said indicators for preventing closure of said switch to start the car, a lamp for illuminat'ing said indicators and a controlling switch for said 1am circuit capable of being 3 closed at any time y said starting switch.

19. The combination in an automatic elevator system of a single circuit containing a plurality of door switches in series, a magnet circuit inshunt across said circuit, a switch :2 controlled by said magnet and normally open when the door switch circuit is closed, and an indicator circuit containing said switch and a plurality of indicators at the floors and controlled by said switch whereby to indicate at the floors when a door is open.

. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT H. BUCKELEW.

itnesses GEo. A. HOFFMAN, GEo. N. KERR. 

